reading - Thornewood Farm

How a Dream in Your Heart
Becomes the Love of Your Life
A Modern Woman’s Success Story
By Sharyl Volpe
C
an you pinpoint the moment you knew
your destiny? Lisa Cifrese can, and she
was four-years-old when it happened.
“I knew I was going to have a future with horses,” says
the co-owner of Thornewood Farm in Stockton, New
Jersey. Lisa and her husband, author and psychoanalyst, Dr. Richard Geha, own the largest and most successful stable of straight Egyptian Arabian horses in
the North Eastern United States. Also the founder of
a successful practice as a psychotherapist, Lisa spoke
with a sparkle as she reflected, “I don’t know how I
knew, I just did!”
A licensed clinical social worker and current surrogate
“mother” of 21 of the most rare Egyptian Arabian horses in the world, Lisa elaborated, “Both of my parents
rode but did not carry it into their later lives. My love
for horses is just a natural part of who I am.” Appreciating their daughter’s unusually profound devotion,
Lisa’s mom and dad presented her with her first mare, a
Morgan, when she was just ten-years-old.
“I remember clearly my father saying sternly, ‘Your
mother will never feed your horse. Never!’ So, I knew
this animal would rely solely on me. And I loved
it.” Did this prove inconvenient considering the allimportant social life of a pre-teen? Not at all. “Most
of my friends had horses too, and similar schedules.
Which was great for my parents, actually, because I
didn’t need a curfew. I was never home too late and
was always up early.” As a rule, Lisa explained, horses
become accustomed to a schedule, which is best kept
consistent.
Influenced, as many of us were, by the book and TV series by British veterinarian, Alf Wight (aka James Herriot of All Things Great and Small fame), Lisa initially
envisioned herself as a large animal vet. However, it
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was psychology that would claim her academic focus
in the end; she went on to earn an MSW from Rutgers University School of Social Work. A subsequent
position in the 1980s earned Lisa a role in a pioneering program treating anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
She would be on the ground floor at one of only three
clinics in the country treating eating disorders as conditions distinct from symptoms of schizophrenia or
bi-polar disorder.
“My treasures do not
chink or glitter.
They gleam in the sun
and neigh in the night.”
— Bedouin proverb
And so the die was cast. Lisa was placed squarely on
the path to establishing a practice that would treat
hundreds of patients, mostly women and girls, for
eating disorders and other emotional and behavioral
health issues. She served as a charter member and
president for seven years of the New Jersey Chapter of
the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association. She has
frequently appeared as a guest on radio and TV as an
expert on eating disorders, and has often been quoted
in newspapers and various media.
In the meantime… Enter Thornewood Farm!
If you have ever taken a drive along rolling, country
hills on narrow, curvy roads then you may have passed
an estate or two. Perhaps there was also a stable, styled
with an opulence rivaling the home itself. This describes Thornewood Farm, where Lisa and Richard
live.
“We are here for the person who has always dreamed
of owning a horse but knows nothing about how to
accomplish it,” Lisa says, sitting comfortably in her
living room with Richard, on a plush, chestnut-colored leather loveseat. The colossal, twenty-foot-high
bookshelf behind her extends in both directions
around the room, brimming with beckoning books.
Sunlight floods in through enormous French-paned
windows.
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“I knew when I finished grad school, I had to do something big with horses. With a boatload of student loans,
I needed a good return on investment.” Sure, she’d always loved a pretty thoroughbred or two, but who
hasn’t? She began a personal journey of intensive education on breeds vs. outlay of capital. This was to eventually include all aspects of breeding, and Lisa became
an expert in achieving the highest level of beauty and
performance through the analysis of the family trees of
these horses. “There is so much to know about horses,”
Lisa remarks about the study of lineage. “I never stop
learning new things. I enjoy studying the history and
characteristics of each line, and seeing where certain
traits originate, which are the best, and how to preserve
and develop the best.”
When you visit Thornewood, you can meet all of the
“children,” each either nestled in her spotless, impeccable stall, or outside prancing as only these showoffs can. “We currently have twenty-one horses, five
of them owned by others. One of the mares has four
mothers, each owning a percentage. And do they spoil
that horse!”
She discovered that straight Egyptian Arabian horses
had the best ROI because of their rarity and extreme
beauty. Even in a down market economy, the breed retained its value. A chance meeting led Lisa to the famous annual Kentucky horse show called the Egyptian
Event, sponsored by the Pyramid Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of these desert
bred horses. (Lisa was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.) The breed
traces back as far as recorded history.
And so, the final piece of the story. The horses are therapy
for the therapist. And Lisa and Richard want to share that
experience with everybody. You can plan to enter this
majestic world at the next Thornewood Farm invitational
gathering on May 3rd, 2014. Spend your day interacting
with these lovely creatures while having fun getting to
know new people in a unique setting, with good food and
drink. Speakers include engaging experts from around
the country, sharing information about growing a horse
business and how to make it profitable too. Join the experience, and see for yourself how the elegance and beauty
of these horses can transform your life.
Lisa and Richard gradually focused more attention on
promoting their equine interests. Settled on forty beautiful acres in Stockton, NJ, their farm specializes in the
breeding and preservation of the lineage of straight
Egyptian Arabian horses. The couple is also dedicated
to bringing these magnificent creatures together with
people through enlightening social engagements, raising
awareness of this rare and splendid breed through educational seminars and special events. Each year Richard and
Lisa host a number of extravagant open houses, inviting
guests into this beautiful world and providing attractive
and lucrative profit potential.
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Lisa shared some secrets about their temperaments and
how she and they communicate. “There is a sentience…
very much so. These fabulous creatures are spirited and
very intelligent. They are sensitive to everything around
them. It is very much about touch, and the eyes. You can
see they are watching you while you are loving them.
When I am with them, I’m at peace.”
For more information about the upcoming program and
other events throughout the year, visit
www.thornewoodfarm.com. You can also call
(609) 577-1976, or email Richard and Lisa at
thornewoodfarm@gmail.com.
Sharyl Volpe is Editor-in-Chief of She Spot Magazine.
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